U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

 Fact Sheet www.cops.usdoj.gov

Safe Policing for Safe Communities

Section 2. Standards for Certification

Implementation of the Executive Order 

on Safe Policing for Safe Communities

On June 16, 2020, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13929 on Safe Policing for Safe Communities.1 The EO’s goal is to ensure that law enforcement agencies continue striving to provide transparent, safe, and 

accountable delivery of services to communities. This delivery will enhance community confidence in law enforcement and facilitate the identification and correction of internal issues before they result in injury to the public or 

to law enforcement officers.

Pursuant to authority vested in in the Attorney General 

by the EO, a group of designated organizations will serve 

as the independent credentialing bodies. An independent 

credentialing body will be responsible for certifying that an 

applying law enforcement agency is in compliance with two 

mandatory safe policing principles in the U.S. Department 

of Justice (DOJ) Standards of Certification. A list of approved 

certifying agencies and the DOJ Standards of Certification 

can be found at https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO. 

1. The White House, Executive Order on Safe Policing for 

Safe Communities, Executive Order 13929, June 16, 2020, 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executiveorder-safe-policing-safe-communities/.

December 2020

The DOJ Standards of Certification identifies two safe policing principles that independent credentialing bodies must 

consider2 when assessing certification of applying 

law enforcement agencies:

1. Adherence to applicable laws. The applying agency 

maintains use of force policies that adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.3

2. Prohibition of choke holds. The applying agency maintains use of force policies that prohibit the use 

of choke holds,4 except in situations where the use of 

deadly force is allowed by law.

Certification of adherence to the two required principles is 

a prerequisite to a law enforcement agency’s eligibility for 

DOJ discretionary grant funding. Agencies will be required 

to be certified or in the process of certification at the time of 

grant application in order to be eligible for DOJ discretionary grant funds in that year’s funding cycle. Certifications 

will be good for three years from their date of issue. The 

credentialing body will maintain a list of certified agencies 

within its jurisdiction and submit this list by January 31 to 

the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

(COPS Office), which will serve as the repository for the list 

of all eligible law enforcement agencies. 

Independent credentialing bodies in each state will be able 

to provide agencies with guidance on how they can obtain 

certification. Agencies should contact their state bodies 

directly for this information. Agencies in areas where there 

is not an independent credentialing body should contact the 

International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement 

Standards and Training (IADLEST).

2. The DOJ Standards document identifies other factors that the 

credentialing bodies may also consider in their own reviews.

3. Policies apply to both paid and volunteer law enforcement officers.

4. A choke hold is a physical maneuver or technique that restricts an 

individual's ability to breathe for the purpose of incapacitation.

Contact the COPS Office

For more information about COPS Office programs 

and resources, please call the COPS Office 

Customer Care Center at 800-421-6770 or by email 

at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or visit the COPS Office 

website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
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Safe Policing for Safe Communities

December 2020

Frequently Asked Questions

continued on p. 3

FOR ALL

EO 13929 and the DOJ Standards of Certification

apply to which entities? 

The EO and DOJ Standards of Certification are applicable to state, local, and university or college law 

enforcement agencies (LEA) seeking DOJ discretionary (i.e., competitive) grant funding. They do not 

apply to tribal law enforcement agencies. 

How are law enforcement officers or 

deputies defined?

A law enforcement officer or deputy is a state, local, 

or university or college employee or volunteer who 

is licensed under applicable state law or certified by 

an applicable POST commission.

Are state, county, or local agencies that house 

offenders but do not have arrest authority or who 

are not otherwise considered by the state to be 

an LEA required to be certified? 

Agencies that employ officers who meet the definition of a law enforcement officer as described in 

the EO and prescribed by state statute or regulatory 

measure should be certified.

Are parole and probation agencies required to 

be certified? 

If the parole and probation agency (1) employs officers who meet the definition of a law enforcement 

officer as described in the EO and prescribed by 

state statute or regulatory measure and (2) applies 

for federal funding from a DOJ component, the 

agency should be certified.

Are methods to reduce blood flow included in the 

definition of a choke hold?

According to the EO, a choke hold is defined as 

"a physical maneuver that restricts an individual’s 

ability to breathe for the purposes of incapacitation." Therefore, methods to reduce blood flow are 

not included.

What does "in process of certification" mean?

A law enforcement agency is considered in the 

process of certification if they have contacted an 

independent credentialing body to begin the process 

of certification. For the purposes of applying for an 

award, the law enforcement agency will need to 

affirm that they are in process of certification with 

the funding application.

Where do I go if I have questions or receive inquiries?

For questions related to the certification process, we 

encourage you to reach out to your state or national 

certification organization. Updated information will 

continue to be posted to the COPS Office website at 

https://cops.usdoj.gov, and you may also contact the 

COPS Office at 800-421-6770. 

F O R I N D E P E N D E N T 

CREDENTIALING BODIES

What entity will serve as the primary credentialing 

or certifying body for law enforcement agencies 

seeking certification? 

In states where there is a state accreditation program, that accreditation program will serve as the 

primary credentialing or certifying body. If the program has or experiences a capacity challenge (meaning the volume of requests exceeds its capabilities), 

the default credentialing or certifying body will be 

the respective Peace Officer Standards and Training 

(POST) board. In states without an existing accreditation program, the state POST will be responsible 

for certifying agencies. IADLEST will be available 

to provide assistance to these states without certifying agencies.

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will serve as the certifying 

body for its client pool; however, if a requesting 

agency would prefer certification from its state 

accreditation program (if a program exists in its 

state), the state accreditation program will serve 

as the certifying body.
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Safe Policing for Safe Communities

December 2020

The International Association of Campus Law 

Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) will serve as 

the certifying body for its client pool of colleges and 

universities; however, if a requesting law enforcement agency prefers to be certified by a state 

accreditation program, the state program will serve 

to certify the agency.

What processes will certifying entities use to issue 

their certifications? 

Each individual certifying entity will develop its own 

locally tailored process. Some may conduct policy 

reviews of law enforcement agencies to ensure that 

they are compliant with the two mandatory requirements of the EO. Other entities may request that 

law enforcement agencies provide a statement of 

declaration attesting that agency policy has been 

reviewed and is compliant with the EO. The statement of declaration is a legally binding document 

and assures that the agency head has reviewed 

the policy or policies and complies with the two 

mandatory requirements of the EO. Other certifying entities may require both a policy review and a 

statement of declaration or other means that they 

develop to assure that agencies are in compliance. 

Beginning in 2021, on or before January 31 of each 

year, independent credentialing bodies must provide the names of each certified law enforcement 

agency to the Director of the COPS Office or his or 

her delegate. Each certified law enforcement agency 

is qualified to receive DOJ discretionary funds for 

up to (i) 36 months from the date of its most recent 

certification by an independent credentialing body or 

(ii) the life cycle of any discretionary grant awarded, 

whichever is longer.

Should the credentialing bodies review the policies 

after the LEA has certified compliance? 

There are three approaches to certifying law enforcement agencies to meet the requirements of the EO:

1. The chief, sheriff, or chief executive officer of the 

law enforcement agency submits to the certifying 

body a “letter of declaration” attesting that their 

agency is in compliance with the two mandatory 

conditions of the EO.

2. The certifying body may choose to review the 

use of force policies for compliance with the 

understanding that the certification applies only 

to the mandatory requirements. This option will 

service two purposes: (1) for the certifying body 

to develop a comprehensive set of best practices 

and (2) to determine which agencies are including 

in their respective policies the “should” principles 

spelled out in the EO.

3. This option is a combination of the first two 

options whereby the certifying body accepts a 

“letter of declaration” for certification but will also 

at a later date review the other “should” principles.

One of the requirements of certification is that the 

applying agency maintain use of force policies that 

adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local 

laws. What are the applicable federal laws?

The federal laws pertaining to use of force are 

context-specific and as such cannot be succinctly 

defined in their entirety for a state or local law 

enforcement agency. At a minimum, law enforcement agencies may want to review 18 U.S.C. § 242, 

Deprivation of Rights Under the Color of Law; 42 

U.S.C. § 1983, Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights; 

and federal case law such as the following:

Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989)

Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985)

Kingsley v. Hendrickson, 576 U.S. 389 (2015)

Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312 (1986)

Albright v. Oliver, 510 U.S. 266 (1994)

Brothers v. Klevenhagen, 28 F.3d 452 (5th Cir. 1994)

Wricht v. Whiddon, 951 F.2d 297 (11th Cir. 1992)

We plan on having law enforcement agencies 

submit a letter of declaration for the certification 

process. Is an agency allowed to submit the letter 

with an electronic signature? 

The COPS Office will accept an electronic signature 

on documents submitted to us. However, agencies 

should consult with state and local laws to determine 

if electronic signatures are allowed on legal documents.

Frequently Asked Questions, cont'd

continued on p. 4
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December 2020

Are the independent credentialing bodies 

authorized to start work right away? 

Yes. The independent credentialing bodies are authorized to start certifying law enforcement agencies.

Who can help the credentialing body develop its 

process for certification, particularly if it doesn’t 

already have one? 

For existing state accreditation programs that do 

not have an established process, programs in Texas, 

Michigan, Tennessee, and New Jersey are available 

to provide technical assistance at no cost to assist 

in the development of a process, forms, etc. For 

states without an accreditation program, IADLEST 

will provide technical assistance at no cost to assist 

in the development process (including forms, etc.).

I am an independent credentialing body. 

How do I submit my list of certified agencies? 

Certifying entities will be provided a standardized 

spreadsheet on which to capture the list of agencies they have certified. Credentialing bodies will 

be provided additional information on the submission process.

What identifiers will need to be collected from 

agencies applying for certification? 

The COPS Office will need to have the following 

identifiers to be able to match lists obtained from 

the independent certifying bodies to agencies 

applying for funding:

Originating Agency Identifier (ORI)

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number

Agency name

Agency address

The name of the agency’s chief executive.

ORI is assigned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for crime reporting. EIN is assigned by the 

Internal Revenue Service and can be found on an 

employee’s W2 or payroll statement. A DUNS number is a unique nine- or 13-digit sequence recognized 

as the universal standard for identifying and keeping 

track of entities receiving federal funds.

When is the list of certified agencies due to the 

COPS Office? 

Please submit your list of certified agencies to the 

COPS Office each year by January 31.

How were the credentialing bodies identified? 

The agencies that have been initially identified to 

serve as the credentialing bodies are organizations 

that are recognized for routinely establishing law 

enforcement standards and processes for reviewing adherence to those standards. The Attorney 

General has sole discretion for the selection of 

these organizations.

How can corrections be made to the names of 

participating credentialing bodies? 

If a credentialing body has an update to how their 

name is listed, please contact the COPS Office.

Is there a process of becoming a DOJ-approved 

independent credentialing body? 

The Attorney General has already identified numerous entities to serve in this capacity. However, an 

entity inquiring about becoming a DOJ-approved 

independent credentialing body can petition the 

DOJ by submitting an application to the Director of 

the COPS Office. Applications should include (1) the 

name of the entity, (2) point of contact and contact 

information, and (3) detailed information as to why 

the entity requires the ability to serve as an independent credentialing body.

FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

As it relates to certification of safe policing 

standards, what does an LEA that plans to apply

for DOJ discretionary grant funds in fiscal year 

(FY) 2021* need to do? 

LEAs that plan to or could apply to receive DOJ 

discretionary grant funds should begin reviewing 

their policies to determine whether they meet the 

criteria as set forth in the Standards of Certification.

Frequently Asked Questions, cont'd

continued on p. 5

* FY 2021 grant solicitations occur between October 1, 

2020, and September 30, 2021. 
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Safe Policing for Safe Communities

LEAs can contact the DOJ-approved independent 

credentialing body or bodies in their state or a 

nationally recognized entity with questions and 

assistance. Those LEAs that believe they comply with 

the Standards of Certification can immediately initiate a letter to one of the independent credentialing 

bodies seeking further review and approval. LEAs 

that plan to apply for DOJ discretionary grant funds 

for FY 2021 must be certified or have started the certification process at the time of grant application.

Does the certification requirement apply to funds 

awarded prior to FY 2021? 

No, the certification requirement does not apply 

to existing awards. The certification requirement 

will be applicable beginning with FY 2021 funds 

and going forward.

Will an LEA be permitted to apply for FY 2021 

discretionary grant funds if it is not on the list of 

certified agencies submitted to the COPS Office by 

January 31, 2021? 

 Yes, applicants must affirm that they are certified or 

in the process of becoming certified as complying 

with safe policing practices at the time of making a 

grant application. Being in the process of receiving 

certification means that the LEA must have contacted a local credentialing body. Applicant agencies 

that are in the process of certification and that are 

selected to receive discretionary grant funds must be 

certified by the time they accept the grant award. 

Do these requirements apply to LEAs receiving 

subawards from a primary grant recipient under 

a DOJ discretionary grant program? 

Yes, DOJ discretionary grant program recipients are 

required to apply these eligibility requirements to any 

subrecipient state or local law enforcement agency. 

The EO does not apply to statutory-formula grant 

programs and therefore also does not apply to subawards made by statutory-formula grant recipients.

Will there be language about the Standards 

of Certification in the FY 2021 solicitations? 

Yes. Specific language regarding certifications 

will be included in all FY 2021 solicitations.

Will the credentialing bodies charge a fee to certify 

pursuant to the EO and DOJ Standards? 

Some credentialing bodies could charge a nominal 

fee to certify law enforcement agencies. LEAs can 

contact the DOJ-approved independent credentialing 

body or bodies in their state or a nationally recognized entity with questions and assistance. 

What if there is not a credentialing body in the state? 

LEAs that do not have a DOJ-approved independent 

credentialing body in their state may use one of the 

following approved nationally recognized entities:

The Commission on Accreditation for Law 

Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) 

International Association of Campus Law 

Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) 

International Association of Directors of Law 

Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST)

Can I use my CALEA or IACLEA accreditation in lieu 

of certification? 

Agencies that have current active accreditation from 

CALEA or IACLEA may request certification from the 

respective agencies, and certification may be issued 

using the existing accreditation as a basis provided 

the required safe policing principles are also taken 

into consideration.

Is there recourse if my application for certification 

is denied? 

Applying agencies denied certification by an independent credentialing body may make an appeal to 

the Deputy Attorney General for review and relief.

How often do I need to renew my certification? 

The certifications will be valid for a three-year 

period and will need to be renewed according 

to that schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions, cont'd

December 2020